


whatever words i say (i will always love you)

by loserdenial



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, and then ends with them as adults, it starts with Eddie and Richie as high school seniors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:40:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loserdenial/pseuds/loserdenial
Summary: Eddie stood in the Walgreens a couple blocks away from the apartment he shared with Richie, eyeing the Valentine’s Day cards, and he felt too old to be doing this again. You’re not picking a college, just a card, he reminded himself, squinting at his options.Or Eddie Kaspbrak vs. Valentine's Day Cards, then and now
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 64





	whatever words i say (i will always love you)

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this to cope with my frustration at buying my girlfriend a valentine's day card. and yes, i truly did spend half an hour attempting to pick out her card. im not proud of how long i stood in that drugstore. happy valentine's day.

Eddie stood in the unfamiliar drugstore aisle two towns over from Derry, frowning at the Valentine’s Day cards. He figured this should take him five minutes tops. Maybe 10 if he was feeling particularly picky and wanted to thoroughly examine every card. But he was sure he was not supposed to have stood in this spot for twenty minutes and still be empty handed.

Eddie had never given a Valentine’s Day card to someone. Not like this. Sure he gave out those crappy ones in elementary school like everyone did, and he probably made one or two in art class and gave them to his mom, but this was serious. He was buying a card for his boyfriend with his own money. Eddie went red just thinking about it. Him and Richie were dating and he loved it. He really did. He loved him and he wanted this Valentine’s Day to be special. He wasn’t the most romantic or anything of that sort, but he wanted to make sure Richie knew he meant the world to Eddie.

Unfortunately, things weren’t that simple. First, he needed to make sure that he got out of Derry to get a card. He knew that at any store in Derry, news about him buying a Valentine’s Day card would make it back to his mother. And he was not prepared for her to give him the fifth degree about the girl he was giving a card to. She was already suspicious, asking him where he always was and if he was being safe and, “Are you dating a nice girl, Eddie? Don’t you want her to meet your mother?” Eddie figured his mother would rather eat literal shit than have Eddie bring Richie Tozier over for dinner as his boyfriend.

Then, he had to figure out how to get a couple towns over. Eddie had a car, but Eddies mom had a strict rule of no driving during the week, and no driving out of town, and not putting too many miles on it. So, basically, it was like Eddie didn’t have a car. He couldn’t ask Richie for obvious reasons, so he decided on Ben. None of their friends really knew the full extent of Eddie and Richie, mainly because it was fully implied and it somehow seemed scarier and more likely to get out if more people knew, but they knew enough that when Eddie asked Ben to drive him to get stuff for Valentine’s Day, Ben knew what he meant and said, “Sure,” no questions asked.

Once at the store, he asked Ben to play lookout and make sure no one from Derry was coming in or out of the store and he himself walked around the tiny drugstore four times, before being satisfied that literally not a soul was in there.

Picking the card, however, was the hardest part. He wanted something sweet, but not over the top and gross. He didn’t want the extra frills- no lace, no glitter. He didn’t want it too impersonal either, but also discrete enough in case Richie’s parents found the card in a couple months in Richie’s room, they would ultimately pass over it, mainly because of how generic it was.

Okay Kaspbrak, focus, Eddie thought to himself, pushing down the nausea he felt. He immediately eliminated any mother, father, husband, wife, daughter, and son cards. He figured a blank one was too much, as he knew he would chicken out if he had all that space to declare his love. Besides, it had too much glitter. There was one joke one, which Eddie immediately vetoed because he refused to give Richie a jokey card. He ignored the one with wine and chocolate on the front, and rolled his eyes at the one that had two owls sitting together in a tree that said “our love was written in the stars”. Knowing he had already taken way too much time, he finally decided on one that was white with pink and red hearts on it that said, “Happy Valentine’s Day” on the cover. He looked around to make sure no one else was there before grabbing it and all but running to the cashier to check out. He picked up a heart box filled with chocolate and slammed his items and money on the counter. The woman at the counter smiled at him and rung up his order, Eddie tapping his foot throughout the whole thing. He felt nauseous, like she knew exactly who this was for and she knew he was gay and was ready to out him to the whole world. He might as well as had a sign on his back saying queer in light up letters, he felt like it was all so glaringly obvious. But, she didn’t say anything, just continued smiling and said, “Have a nice day!” as Eddie grabbed his stuff and bolted out of the store.

Ben jumped as Eddie opened the door to the car and slammed it shut. “What took you so long Eddie? It was no big deal waiting but you were in there for almost half an hour!”

“Picking cards isn’t easy,” Eddie said, breathing a sigh of relief and putting his face on the cool window of the car. “There’s so many and how do you know what’s the best? There’s so much you gotta factor into this kind of stuff.”

Ben gave Eddie a look, before turning on the car and saying, “Doesn’t matter what it is. If you picked it, Richie will be thrilled.” Eddie felt himself go red and he smiled, but didn’t respond.

Eddie stood in the Walgreens a couple blocks away from the apartment he shared with Richie, eyeing the Valentine’s Day cards, and he felt too old to be doing this again. You’re not picking a college, just a card, he reminded himself, squinting at his options.

But this wasn’t just any Valentine’s Day card. This was his first Valentine’s Day with Richie since their first one ever, back when they were in high school. It was their first Valentine’s Day post-It, post-remembering each other, post-everything. Eddie wanted it to be special. Richie deserved special. Eddie knew he wasn’t the easiest to cohabit with, between his own quirks, the divorce, his trauma, etc. and Richie had been so lonely. Richie told Eddie that he never really celebrated the holiday because he had no one to celebrate it with, and that made Eddie upset. Sure, he and Myra never really made a big production out of Valentine’s Day, all he had to do was get her one of the super expensive pop-up cards that were decked out with glitter and rhinestones and take her out to dinner and she was thrilled, but spending the holiday alone sucked. He knew that from his single years. So yeah, Richie deserved a special holiday.

But the cards man! Eddie really had no clue what card to get. There’s really no specific card that says, “I saved your life, you saved mine, my divorce is finalized, you’re the love of my life,” but Eddie figured he could write that part in afterwards. He also noticed the lack of cards that were devoted to gay couples, which was at literally zero, which he thought was weird because they live in a city Jesus Christ shouldn’t it be more progressive here! But, he filed that away to complain about at a later date. He was on a mission, and he was not going away empty handed.

He kinda liked one card with butterflies on it that said “because of you, the butterflies will never go away,” but the butterflies were pink and he thought that looked too girly and made him sound like he was a 12 year old girl with a crush. He, again, ignored the joke cards because they had the rest of their life ahead of them for jokes and he needed to be serious just this once dammit! And why were there so many cards with pizza on it? Who the fuck would want to give or receive a card that says, “I love you more than pizza,”? Like come on. You’re not quirky, get some real interests!

Frustrated that he, for the life of him, could not find a good card, and paranoid because he knew he was taking way too long deciding and people were probably staring at him, he picked the first card he saw that was not over the top and walked toward the candy aisle. He also got Richie a new pair of sunglasses and a weighted blanket, but he figured he should get Rich some candy too. When he looked at all the Valentine’s candy, though, he could not think of a single candy Richie even liked. Feeling frazzled, he grabbed a handful of snickers bars, a candy he knew Richie like because he saw him eat it when they went to the movies over the weekend, and made a run for the register.

After that, the day went rather smoothly. Eddie returned to the apartment and the two of them began bickering about what take out to order. They eventually went with Thai food, which was neither of their first choices, but they both liked it and decided it was better to compromise than get genuinely pissed at one another about some stupid shit. They ate their drunken noodles and pad thai on the couch while watching some truly terrible game shows, which they both got a kick out of because it always ended in them shouting out answers at the TV and hysterically laughing. Richie brought out a cake he got from the bakery two blocks over and while they ate in companionable silence, Eddie spoke up.

"So I know we said we weren't getting gifts this year. But it's our first true, real Valentine's Day as an adult couple Rich, and I didn't want you to walk away from it empty handed. Even though we both say we're too old for this kind of stuff."

"I am so glad we are both ridiculously sappy and unable to keep any promises. Because I got you a gift too," Richie replied, a huge smile on his face.

"Open mine first, so I don't have to feel bad that you got me this awesome gift and I gave you literal garbage," Eddie said, before hopping off their couch and running to their bedroom to grab the gift he had gotten Richie.

"I could never be disappointed by anything you got me. Plus, I doubt you would touch literal garbage with a ten foot pole," Richie said with a smile and Eddie gave him the finger, before passing over the gaudy pink and red heart bag in which he meticulously put everything in. 

Richie was a great gift opener. He always had been, even as a kid. He oohed and ahhed at the right places, a huge smile on his face. Once he had examined everything thoroughly and commented on it, Richie threw his arms around Eddie. "I love it Eds. I really do. But did I really need eleven king sized snicker bars?” Richie asked, laughing. 

Eddie groaned and put his head in his hands. “Probably not, but I panicked.”

“And panicking led you to buying all the snickers in the city how exactly?”

“Because I wanted today to be good. I mean more than good. I wanted it to be great. Perfect. Fantastic! Pick your adjective.” Richie just stared at Eddie, and Eddie groaned again. “Picking out cards for you makes me stressed the fuck out. I’m not good at this romance stuff. Never have been, even pre-memory loss. Our first Valentine's ever as a couple I spent half an hour picking out your card. And Rich you deserve it all. And I don’t know exactly how to show that in one stupid fucking generic card.”

“Eds. Just you being here with me is worth it all. I don’t give any shits about what we do or what you give me. You’re it for me baby, and it doesn’t matter if you give me no cards or a card meant for a son or every card you can afford. And for the record, I love this card and these eleven snickers and holy shit I thought this was just a blanket but it’s a goddamn weighted blanket! You seriously are the best.” Richie pulled Eddie in close and they kissed and Eddie felt himself soften in the way only Richie could make him feel soft. 

"Now open my gift. I promise you'll love it," Richie said, producing a wrapped box from the side of the couch and shoving it into Eddie's hands. Eddie opened the gift to see a gift basket filled with assorted items, ranging from cuff links and new ties, to different flavored coffee beans, to the Back to the Future box set, and more. 

"God, you really do give me the best gifts," Eddie said, pulling Richie forward into a kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart."

"Happy Valentine's Day lover," Richie replied, smiling into their kiss.


End file.
